Cold, still pools
by Zerwas
Summary: Zuko remembers in a crucial moment that Azula always lies and Katara leaves a deeper impression on him than intended. How will this affect his life after the Battle at Ba Sing Se?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Azula always lies**

When they captured him, he was angry. Angry at himself for believing Azula would play fair. Furious at Azula, who, as the coward that she was, let the Dai Li overpower him with dishonorable earthbending moves and sheer numbers, instead of accepting Agni Kai. Enraged, even, at his uncle for leaving him in the middle of a battle, although he must have known that Azula would overpower them with petty tricks. No. He, Zuko, should have known. He should have known better. _Azula always lies_ , Zuko hears the echo of his own words, spoken as a young boy. _Azula always lies_.

He struggled as they dragged him down to the entrance to the Crystal Caverns, but it was no use. The two Dai Li that flanked him help him firmly in their grip and the agent walking behind him, bending his shackles, were too powerful. So all he could do was accept his fate, observe, wait, and find the right moment to escape.

He did not expect to be thrown into a prison without doors. But then, he'd never had the chance to study other nations' prisons. It made perfect sense for capturing non-earthbenders, so he wondered why no one in the fire nation had ever thought of that. Perhaps the problem was in finding loyal earthbenders to run the prison.

"You got company!" The Dai Li agent walking behind him pushed him down a slope and Zuko, still bound at arms and feet, could not manage to keep balance, so he tumbled down the slope, crystal splinters piercing his skin and he was suddenly glad to be wearing the Earth Kingdom-style long robes he had detested so much at first. Even now, he could not bring himself to wear green.

The Dai Li released his shackles and closed the cave's wall. Where there had been a gaping hole just moments ago, an uneven stone wall betrayed nothing about the possibility of ever leaving the cave.

"Zuko!", he heard a familiar female voice cry in surprise behind him. He knew this voice, but it felt like a memory of a different self. This brought back the memory of his uncle lying in the sand, debris from collapsed buildings. At that moment, all of Zuko's world had been filled with his uncle who had been gravely injured by Azula. _Zuko, I can help_ , her voice reverberated in his head. All he had wanted was to protect his uncle, but he had been unable to see reason, and her words had not reached him.

Guilt spread inside him, turning his insides into solid ice. He had put his uncle in danger, and for what? The ice grew even colder as he suddenly realized that just today, he repeated the same mistake by confronting Azula. But uncle had acted in wisdom, not cowardice, when he turned heel.

 _Zuko, I can help._ He lowered his eyes in defeat.

He glanced around until he spotted Katara, then lowered his eyes again. She seemed her usual self.

"Why did they throw _you_ in here?", she demanded. He turned his eyes forward again. The cold feeling inside of him was slowly turning him numb. It was too complicated to reply.

He dimly noticed the rustle of her clothes and the crunch of crystal pieces when she shifted her stance.

"Oh wait. Let me guess. It's a trap", she threw at him, suddenly enraged. No doubt she was getting ready to attack. She'd probably found some water nearby already. Zuko gave no indication that he was aware of the danger and said nothing. He'd probably deserve it if she killed him on the spot.

"So when Aang shows up to get me out of here, you can finally have him in your little Fire Nation clutches". Aang. The Avatar.

 _I need to capture The Avatar_ , Zuko's own voice resounded. It had all been in vain from the start. Father had never meant to restore his honor, even if he had found and captured The Avatar. Azula's actions were proof. _Azula always lies_. Zuko leaned forward, squinted his eyes and clenched his fists. No. He could not bring himself to lose his trust in Father, just because of what Azula had done to him. Azula was acting on her own whim. There was no person in the world who could control Azula. Not even his father.

"You are a terrible person, you know that?", Katara accused him. "Always following us, hunting The Avatar, trying to capture the world's last hope for peace! You're the Fire Lord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood." Every word she lashed out at him was like a whip, but strangely soothing. He folded his arms, slumped forward. He was none of that. That was why his father had never loved him.

"You don't know what you're talking about", he replied flatly. Not that it mattered. His reply enraged her even more. "I don't? How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through!" He was soaked as Katara dropped a ball of water over his head. He hadn't even noticed it was there.

"Me personally", Katara continued a little calmer. The crunch of crystals told him she moved. Her voice echoed from the cavern walls as she added "The Fire Nation took my mother away from me."

Zuko's eyes widened in shock and he spun around to find Katara's back turned towards him. Her shoulders trembling, only her suppressed sobs broke the silence. Zuko got on his knees, pressing his palms against his thighs and gritting his teeth. Katara collapsed, crying and wiping her tears. Zuko stared at her back helplessly. He never expected the waterbender capable of such emotional outbreaks, except for rage, which Katara had occasionally displayed whenever The Avatar had been in danger. Much less did he expect to discover that she had been through the same as him. He lowered his eyes. He was never thinking much. A large part of the Southern Water Tribe had been all but eradicated in the early stages of the war and was still subject to occasional raids. It was about as unlikely that she had not lost close relatives as it was unlikely for her to be a waterbender. But unlikely things did happen.

His voice trembled as he finally stated "I'm sorry. That's something we have in common." She flinched at the sound of his voice, his presence apparently forgotten.

It took a while for her to collect herself, but she finally wiped away her tears and said with choked voice: "I'm sorry I yelled at you before."

 _Why are you sorry_ , he thought. _Yell at me. Yell at me more, because uncle never does_. But he could not bring himself to say it.

"It doesn't matter", he heard himself say instead. It wasn't how he felt, but in the end, even being yelled at was more than he deserved.

Katara turns around to face him. He didn't dare look her in the eyes. He saw her clenching her skirt, but could not make out her expression. "It's just that for so long, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face." He looked up, surprised. She looked at him with wide, red-lined eyes, lips pressed together. She seemed ready to jump up and fight in an instant. How could she say that? Didn't she know he'd been banished all this time and was now being chased as a traitor. He lowered his eyes and nodded. His was the only Fire Nation face she'd known for so long. And he certainly looked the part.

"My face", he pressed out, lifting his hand to the burn mark around his left eye. "I see." He wondered what she imagined other Fire Nation people to look like. Most of the soldiers wore masks, after all. Maybe it had been a mistake to get rid of the Blue Spirit mask.

She waved her hands, leaning forward. "No, no, that's not what I meant". His glance trailed to the left, hiding the maimed side of his face from her. "It's OK." He pressed his lips together and inhaled deeply. "I used to think this scar marked me." He made a short pause. "The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase The Avatar forever." He got on his feet and turned away from her. Clenching his fist, he added: "But lately, I've realized that I'm free to determine my _own_ destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark."

A rustle behind him. Katara'd gotten up. Zuko glances over his right shoulder, anxiously awaiting her reaction. He half expected her to laugh at him and call him names. _So adorable, Zuzu_ , Azula sneered inside his head. _You're such a weakling, Dum-dum. You can't do anything, scar or not._

"Maybe you could be free of it", Katara whispered.

"What?", Zuko exclaimed as he wheeled around. _Zuko, I can help_. Her genuinely compassionate expression almost brought him to his knees. "I have healing abilities", she added, coming closer two steps.

He could hardly bear watching her approach. _Zuko, I can help._ His gaze trailed right, fixed on one of the crystal formations behind Katara. He didn't want her to come closer, but he would not sway back either. "It's a scar. It can't be healed."

From the corner of his eye he observed Katara procure a necklace with a pendant of some sort from underneath her shirt. "This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole." He vaguely remembered the small pond with a black and a white Koi swirling around in an endless cycle. He never knew what it meant and didn't care, but his uncle had been very upset about it when General Zhao threatened to kill one of the fish. He did not fully understand what had happened, but the red night that followed was forever etched into his memories. He had wanted to get revenge on Zhao, but The Avatar beat him to it. He tried to save Zhao, so that he might have another chance at an honorable battle, but Zhao would not accept his mercy. _You're a terrible person._ Yes, he did that.

"It has special properties", Katara continued, interrupting his recollection. "So I've been saving it for something important." Something important. It made no sense. He stared at her as she drew closer and raised her hand. "I don't know if it would work, but…" She stopped just inches short of his face that had disbelief written all over it. _Zuko, I can help_ , her desperate voice resounded again in his head and he suddenly realized she was serious. His expression softened as he lost himself in the depths of her ocean-blue eyes for a short moment.

When he noticed that none of them had moved or spoken for a while, a slight blush crept into his cheeks as he hesitantly turned the scarred side of his face toward her. Katara closed the distance and he could feel her cool fingertips below his eye. She raised her hand holding the spirit water vial, but before she could uncork it, Zuko's hand gently closed around hers, tightening her grip around the necklace. His amber eyes returned to her face and her still-raised hand brushed his nose before she withdrew it from his face.

"I cannot accept this", he finally stated. "You said you were saving it for something important and that's what you should do", he continued resolutely. "This is- ", Katara started, but Zuko interrupted her. "But knowing that you would sacrifice something so precious for my sake after I caused you so much pain, without asking anything in return is more than I could ever dream." It was true. He'd never known many people on a personal level. As crown prince of the Fire Nation he'd been entitled to all sorts of things, but deep personal connections outside of his own family were not among them. The only women he'd known well were his own mother, his sister and her crazy girlfriends. He'd tried to have conversation with the servants in the palace a few times, but they were never honest with him, as worshipping the royal family was part of their jobs. His mother had been nice to him because she was his mother. Azula had not been nice and her girlfriends did whatever Azula told them to do. The servants were nice because it was their jobs. And even among the people he'd met on his journey, there were none who'd still be kind to him if they'd know he was the crown prince of the Fire Nation. Katara was different. She hated him, but she still wanted to help. Even before she knew about his mother.

Her hand that was still in clasp opened slowly. He loosened his grip, but much to his surprise, Katara did not withdraw her hand. Their fingers intertwined gently, the necklace with the spirit water dangling between their hands from one of her fingers. "Katara, why?", he asked as he lightly caressed her thumb with his. She lowered her eyes and replied with a faint smile. "You're unusually outspoken today. Makes you seem almost human." She looks into his eyes again and locks his fingers with hers. "But I mean it. Let me help you get rid of this scar and leave it all behind. Let's get out of here together." She almost yelled that last sentence.

"You hate Azula, don't you? I saw you fighting her the day she chased us over half the continent. With your help, we can bring her down!" He tried to free himself from her grip while she spoke, but she would not let him. Her fierce expression almost scared him, but he could not look away. He carefully drew her fist closer to his body until it touched his chest. He had no idea if she'd be able to feel his heartbeat through the thick Earth Kingdom robes, but asked anyway: "Do I seem human now?" Her face softened as she glanced downward at their intertwined fingers. "I need to find my own destiny, scar or not", he repeated and Katara's attention returned to his face.

"My banishment is part of my destiny, I know that now. Ever since I was a child, I spent all this time being chased by something invisible. My wish for father's love, restoring my honor, outdoing Azula." He stared into the back of the crystal cavern. "But now I believe it's time to ask myself– ". Before he could finish his sentence, the cave wall behind him burst open, and the battle cries of several people could be perceived under the roaring winds that broke into his prison. His robe and hair were caught by the wind and he was thrust forward one step before could regain his balance. His chin hit Katara's forehead, while she pushed both her hands to his chest in surprise. His free hand sought hold, but found it only it Katara's sleeve.

The Avatar landed next to them. "Katara!", he cried. "Get away from her!" A gust of wind hit Zuko from that side and he was hurled away. His fingers cracked painfully as his hand was torn away from Katara's. His head crashed into the ground, taking away his vision and body control for a moment. He slid several feet over the crystal-covered ground, before his back hit one of the crystal formations. The sharp rock pierced his lower back painfully and brought him back to his senses. _Don't mess with The Avatar's girlfriend._ He groaned and struggled to get back on his feet, as his uncle came running towards him.

"Zuko!", he cried, but Zuko's clouded vision made it hard to make out his expression. The Avatar's shout resounded from the walls around them, apparently coming from all sides. "Katara, what did he _do_ to you?" Uncle Iroh grabbed Zuko's upper arms, pulling him on his feet, but Zuko had to lean against the crystal formations to keep his balance. His knees were shaking. "Yes, what _did_ you do to her?", his uncle repeated sheepishly. "I didn't do anything", he exclaimed, as Katara's voice echoed in the cave "He didn't do anything".

Zuko felt his vision clearing. His uncle drew him into a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're OK". As he looked past his uncle, he saw The Avatar and Katara in a tight hug. The Avatar glared at him angrily. Zuko freed himself from his uncle's embrace and pointed at The Avatar, knees trembling. "Uncle, I don't understand!", he shouted. "What are you doing with _him_?"

"Saving you, that's what", The Avatar grumbled from over Katara's shoulder. Zuko raised a clenched fist at The Avatar who moved away from Katara, raising his staff. Katara and Iroh reacted within a split second, stepping in between The Avatar and Zuko. Looking over the crown of his uncle's head, Zuko observed Katara placing her hands on Aang's shoulder and speaking to him quietly. Uncle Iroh stood before him, his hands hidden in the sleeves of his robe. "Zuko, it's time we talked", he spoke solemnly. Turning toward Team Avatar, he said: "Go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you."

The Avatar bowed to Uncle Iroh and pulled Katara's sleeve to urge her on and vanished in the hole he'd created. Katara made a few steps toward the exit of the cave, then stopped and looked back at him. She opened her mouth as if trying to speak. "Go ahead", Uncle Iroh reassured her. She finally turned around and left.

"She's a nice girl, isn't she?", his uncle beamed after they were gone. Zuko was not in the mood to discuss girls and would not know what to say anyway, so instead he exclaimed: "Why, uncle?" His uncle's smile vanished. "You are not the man you used to be, Zuko", he explained firmly. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have _ever_ been. And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good!"

Good, bad, what difference did it make? None would prove him worthy in his father's eyes. He had chosen his successor when he banned Zuko. Azula wanted him out of the way, but not because he was a real threat. He was merely a nuisance that might get in the way of her plans and prevent her _perfect_ victory. He closed his eyes and exhaled. He felt the cool touch of Katara's hand on his scar and recalled her eyes staring at him intently. _With your help, we bring her down._ Her eyes that had been troubled oceans earlier seemed more like cold, still pools now. A calmness unknown to him overcame him. Crossroads of destiny? He couldn't care less.

A sudden tremor woke him from his introspection. Crystals shot from the ground, trapping Uncle Iroh. He saw the crystals raising from below his own feet as in slow motion and saved himself from a similar fate by jumping out of the way. From the corner of his eye he saw Azula and two Dai Li agents slide down the slope from the entrance into the cave. More crystals came for him from top and below and only a daring leap, landing on his hands and rolling forward got him out of the way. Before he could get back to his feet, the Dai Li's stone fetter tied his feet together. Zuko, losing balance, landed hard on his front and was immediately trapped in crystal, leaving him unable to move.

He could barely turn his head, but the light footsteps approaching him could not be mistaken for anyone else's but Azula's. She stopped right before him, but he could not see further than her knees. Shifting her weight to one leg, she taunted: "I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle, but Zuko, _Prince_ Zuko…" She grabbed his hair, pulled up his head painfully and brought her face close to his. Eyes full of malice and mouth twisted into the mockery of a smile, she hissed: "You're a lot of things, but you're not a _traitor_ , are you?"

"Release us immediately!", he wheezed, his neck still stretched unnaturally. She dropped his head and patted his hair. "It's not too late for you, Zuko. You can still redeem yourself." She turned away and gave the Dai Li a wink. The crystals trapping him moved aside. Now released, Zuko struggled to his feet. "The kind of redemption she offers is not for you!", his uncle warned from afar. _Azula always lies_. Azula dismissed Iroh's objection with a wave of her hand. "Why don't you let _him_ decide, uncle?" Turning to Zuko, she added "I _need_ you, Zuko." Blue flames sprang out of her hands, licking her bracers. "I've plotted every move of this day. The glorious day in Fire Nation history." The flames went out. She closed the distance to his brother and stroked his cheek. In a motherly tone she continued: "And the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back." She covered her hands over her heart. "You will have father's love." Spreading her arms on both sides of her body, she concluded: "You'll have _everything_ you want."

His uncle's desperate voice echoed from the walls. "Zuko, I am begging you, look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want." Azula rolled her eyes and shrugged. "My Zuzu", she purred and nudged his nose. When she finally turned to leave, she waved her hand, saying: "You are free to choose."

Zuko looked at his uncle's pleading face, barely noticing Azula and the Dai Li agents leaving. His eyes fell on the wet spot on the ground left by Katara's waterbending. His soaked robe stuck to his back. _Cold, still pools_. He cast off his robe and tore the sleeves off of his shirt. Finally, he turned back to his uncle.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

Thank you for the support! This is my first fanfic and I will try to release new chapter regularly. Stay tuned for more Zutara.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: The Battle at Ba Sing Se**

The Avatar and Katara were circling Azula and Azula was circling them, each party observing the other, anxiously awaiting the other's next move. Zuko shot a blast of fire between the two parties, disturbing their fragile balance. Three heads turned towards him. His eyes met Azula's, whose inquiring looks betrayed her insecurity. It was clear that she was no match for Katara and The Avatar united. These two _did_ make a good team, Zuko recognized bitterly. The Avatar's face disclosed nothing but wonder at what would happen next. His passivity would be his downfall one of these days. Zuko carefully avoided observing Katara, as he knew that his decision would falter if he did.

He turned his raised fists toward The Avatar, whose face twisted into a grimace of anger at the realization of Zuko's decision. The Avatar leapt high into the air to avoid the blast Zuko shot at him and from the corner of his eye he could see Azula engaging Katara in an instant. He was sure that he did not imagine the self-satisfied smirk on Azula's face.

He dodged an air blast shot back at him by The Avatar from high up and retaliated with his Fire Whip to send him back to the ground. The Avatar blocked it with a shield of crystal that was smashed by the force of Zuko's whip attack, but still saved The Avatar's baby skin. Zuko shot more fire blasts at him, but The Avatar evaded them effortlessly by jumping from one crystal to another. As he landed on the ground, Zuko felt one of his feet sinking into the rock surface. Before he could pull it out, The Avatar had trapped his foot in solid stone. _Cursed earthbenders_ , he thought, gritting his teeth. The Avatar hurled blows of wind and rock at him, which Zuko broke with firebending counter-attacks. Rock and crystal splinters grazed his exposed skin, but not a single blow landed.

A shriek echoed through the cavern. The Avatar whirled around, screaming: "Katara!" and was off to support her. _Don't mess with The Avatar's girlfriend_. Zuko, still trapped in stone, stomped hard on the ground several times with his free foot on fire. Finally. the rock cracked under the heat and Zuko was able to pull free. "I'm okay, Aang", he heard Katara shout over the noise of the battle. "Don't let Zuko escape!" Although Zuko had expected no less from a warrior like her, the words still stung.

With a final wind blast directed at Azula, The Avatar turned his attention back to Zuko, who was jump-climbing a rocky cliff to lure him away from Azula. With every one of his steps, The Avatar stomped rocky ledges out of the cliffside that Zuko evaded artfully. After reaching the top of the cliff, Zuko rained fiery kicks down on The Avatar, who cast aside his attacks as if they were nothing more than stingflies in the summer breeze. Things were going according to plan, but the ease at which The Avatar brushed away his attacks still annoyed Zuko.

As The Avatar braced the cliff on his spinning ball of air, Zuko brought forth his fire swords and jumped the approaching Avatar, who, apparently surprised to be engaged in close-quarter combat, parried the attack with a shield of crystal in the very last moment. He tried to jump out of reach, but Zuko grabbed his skinny ankle in the last second, bringing him down with himself. They tumbled down the cliff together, both of them unable to focus enough for any significant bending. Zuko's hand reached for The Avatar's throat who leaned away to bite his hand forcefully. Zuko cried in pain, as he landed on the rocky floor. He jumped back to his feet instantaneously, but The Avatar was already out of his reach. He glanced around hastily. What was taking them so long?

Pebbles rained down around him. Looking above, he saw a huge boulder coming down at him from the cavern ceiling. He leapt out of the way, turning around in mid-flight. Sliding backwards he shot massive fire blasts from the soles of his feet at the top of the boulder, where The Avatar was about to land. He blocked in the very last instant, but the sheer force of the fire attack knocked him backward into the cliffside, which partially collapsed over him.

Zuko looked across the canal, where Katara and Azula were battling. Katara had trapped Azula's hands and feet in water tentacles and was about to lift her up from the scorched ground. He was surprised to see Azula so outmatched by Katara. The last time he'd battled the waterbender from the South Pole fighting seriously, he'd been weakened by nightfall, hypothermia and general exhaustion, while her powers had been greatly enhanced by the full moon that gave waterbenders almost immeasurable powers. Although she defeated him, it didn't count nor had it been a lasting victory, because the environment had given her unfair advantages, and he managed to overcome her after sunrise.

 _Too early_. _She can't go down now_. Zuko's thoughts were racing and he did the best thing he could think of in this moment by shooting an arc of flame that moved across the canal, severing Katara's Water Tentacles and freeing Azula from her fetters. Katara turned her head in horror and her eyes, in which a storm was raging, met his for a split second. Unable to turn away, he did not notice The Avatar crawling out of the rubble of the collapsed cliffside behind him. Azula jumped over the canal, and in passing him shouted with a wide smirk: "Thank you, brother!".

As Azula went for The Avatar, the storm in Katara's eyes transformed into a typhoon. Shooting ice lances at Zuko, she yelled: "I thought you had changed!". Zuko melted the incoming icicles with well-aimed fire pins. Walking sideways to seek cover behind a crystal formation, he shouted over his shoulder: "I _have_ changed!". He ducked behind the crystal formation, looking around for Azula and The Avatar. The Avatar was already exhausted from his fight with Zuko and was hard pressed by Azula's attacks.

Katara's strained groan from behind the crystal warned him of an incoming attack, but the flood wave that washed over him was so massive that it could neither be evaded, nor resisted. He was flushed away from the crystal cluster and left exposed, coughing in a puddle of icy water on the rocky floor. Something grabbed his foot. Looking around with his eyes widened in shock he realized that Katara did not even hesitate. She was pinning him down using one of her Water Tentacles and aiming the other straight for his face. She was going for the kill.

Zuko yanked the leg that was held by Katara's tentacle toward his body. The sudden pull threw Katara off balance and her tentacles lost form. She brought the water back in shape instantaneously, but Zuko was free at last. Jumping up, he circled around Katara. Waterbenders were firebenders' natural enemies, but water was also sluggish in following the bender's movements. He dodged several attacks as he started to read her movements. Dodging an elaborate maneuver, his leg suddenly froze in place. He cursed under his breath as Katara came running for him, shooting ice disks at her trapped enemy. But ice would not shackle him. He melted the ice block trapping his leg with Fire Breath and brought out his flame swords to deflect the ice disks that pulverized the surrounding rock and crystal face.

Katara had almost reached him when he heard the heavy footsteps and shouts of the Dai Li agents echoing from the cave walls. _Finally_ , he thought. As he passed Katara, closely evading a well-aimed icicle strike to his throat, their eyes met for an instant. The typhoon had passed and been replaced by sheets of ice, calmly calculating the enemy's movements. She was dead serious. He realized he'd gotten her and The Avatar wrong the whole time. It wasn't that messing with The Avatar's girlfriend was the problem. It was messing with Katara's boyfriend that spelled the imminent death sentence. Thinking back, it had always been herself who'd thwarted Zuko's plans to use her to capture The Avatar.

Her eyes widened in surprise, when Zuko smiled at her apologetically and sped for where The Avatar had Azula cornered by shooting a mixture of crystal missiles and wind-enforced kicks down on Azula. It looked as if even she was getting weary by now as the Avatar drove her backwards, finally burying her under a wave of rock.

"Don't you _dare_ run away from me!", Katara cried full of rage. Something pierced Zuko's back and sent him to the ground, groaning. Zuko heard the Dai Li closing in on them, followed by Katara screaming something unintelligible. Zuko sprung back to his feet and, spinning round, quickly assessed the situation. The Dai Li were streaming in from one of the cave's entrances, getting in formation and apparently awaiting orders. Zuko complimented them for their discipline and pitied them for their dependency on Azula's orders, for she was unable to give any. He summersaulted behind Katara, landing softly in a puddle of icy water. Pinning her body with one arm, he shot a blade of fire from the thumb at his other hand and held it to her throat.

"Avatar!", he yelled. Katara struggled, but it was no use against her taller and stronger opponent. The Avatar whirled around, giving his own fight opponent a chance to breathe. Zuko's fire blade singed Katara's hair as she squirmed to break free. The Avatar's eyes widened in shock. He glanced around, apparently overwhelmed by the number of opponents. "Aang, don't mind me! Finish her off!", Katara shouted. The Avatar closed his eyes, then said: "I'm sorry, Katara". He raised a capsule of crystals and was out of sight.

Zuko did not understand, what was happening, but realized that the Dai Li were perfectly lined up by now. Azula broke free from a pile of rocks in an explosion, shooting smoking sharp splinter all possible ways. They were out of time. A faint glow emitted from The Avatar's crystal shelter. "Now, uncle!", Zuko yelled, letting go of Katara and getting ready to end the fight. All hell broke loose when The Avatar's crystal prison burst open and a deafening roar resounded from the back of the cave simultaneously. The Avatar hovered out of his cocoon slowly, his tattoos glowing. Powerful gusts of wind lashed around him, tugging Zuko's hair and clothes. "Aang", Katara whispered beside him, eyes full of hope.

He barely noticed the massive fire wave rolling over the Dai Li agents before the smell of charred flesh stung in Zuko's nose. Uncle's plan had worked. While Zuko had distracted Azula and stalled for time, most of the Dai Li agents had assembled in a single spot, where Uncle Iroh could wipe them out in a single attack. While working out the plan, Zuko had pondered what a waste of exceptional earthbenders that would be, but his doubts had been quickly dispersed when he realized that, even united with The Avatar, they would be no match for the Dai Li army and it would be impossible to capture them without incapacitating them. They had sealed their warrants when they betrayed the Earth King to side with the likes of Azula. These justifications he was making to himself were interrupted by the crack of lightning and thunder that drowned the roar of Uncle Iroh's flames.

Zuko's eyes were blinded by the flash as he tried to make out what happened. Beside him, Katara inhaled sharply and screamed "Aang!". All other noise was drowned by the flood wave that washed over him and lifted him off his feet. The world spun around him as he fought his way to the light. Coughing, his head broke through the surface. He was still blinking away the water as he heard his uncle Iroh shout: "-got to get out of here! I'll finish her!" Azula stood between him and Uncle, battle-ready. Iroh raised his fists toward her. As the wave subsided and Katara landed next to Iroh, Zuko's feet found solid ground as well. Katara ran for something hidden behind his uncle's wide body.

As she went out of sight, Zuko realized that The Avatar was nowhere to be seen. "I'm here, uncle", Zuko muttered in disbelief as his Fire Whip sped for Azula's back. Could Azula's lightning have struck The Avatar? The question was answered when Uncle Iroh stepped forward to engage Azula in battle. Zuko's Fire Whip missed its target when he flinched at the sight of the unconscious Avatar. Uncle Iroh fired several fire missiles at Azula, which she avoided effortlessly. Zuko had never liked The Avatar, but killing him had not been on the table today. All they had meant to do was create a distraction to take out the Dai Li in a surprise attack. Him fighting on Azula's side was meant for her to let her guard down and stall for time. When the Dai Li finally arrived, there would be too much confusion for them to see through instantly, giving them the essential opening to take them out. That part had worked, but…

Katara lifted The Avatar's skinny body almost effortlessly and created a current that carried them to the waterfall feeding into the canals twisting through in the cave. She lifted her hand and a twisting pillar of water appeared, carrying them out of the cave. Katara cast a last glance downward on the battlefield, where Zuko stood, staring at her motionlessly. He could not make out her expression, but was certain that it was not a friendly one. He wanted so much to call after her, to explain himself, to ask if The Avatar would be OK, but she was already out of sight.

He turned toward Azula who was going hand-to-hand with their uncle, looking around the cave uncomfortably. She was finished. She would not be victorious. Not today.

With a roar he shot fiery kicks and blasts at her. Azula wheeled around, surprised. Apparently, she hadn't even noticed in the fray that he'd turned against her. She avoided the blasts, retaliating at every opportunity, but not without getting her hair and tunic burnt. She wouldn't last against Zuko and Uncle Iroh for very long.

To his surprise, she shot fire from her palms and soles and sped toward a stalactite hanging from the cave's ceiling. Grabbing a ledge, she cried: "Da Li! Those of you who can still move, apprehend Prince Zuko and General Iroh _AT ONCE!_ Make your decision fast! If I find out later that any of you has only minor injuries, he'll be executed on the spot." For emphasis she shot a bolt of lightning into the bedrock above where the Dai Li lay motionless. Debris and boulders rained down on them and indeed she was right. Some of them were conscious and still able to move, deflecting the larger rocks to avoid being crushed underneath.

Zuko gritted his teeth. That was bad. He closed the distance to the Dai Li in large leaps, while his uncle shot a stream of fire at the stalagmite, which made Azula abandon her safe haven. Leaping up and grabbing hold on the side of a rock pillar, Zuko performed a spinning motion as he jumped down toward the motionless Dai Li agents, causing an explosion that expanded as a fiery dome, engulfing himself and the traitorous earthbenders.

When the waves subsided, he noticed several holes between the burning corpses, stretching into the tight channels that earthbenders used so often to hide or escape. Cursing under his breath, he whirled around. They'd known what to expect and taken flight before he could finish them off. Now they were hiding and out of reach for the firebenders.

He felt the ground underneath give in and jumped up in the last instant to avoid being trapped again as earlier, but as he soared in the air, stone gloves attached themselves to both of his ankles. His feet snapping together threw him off balance and he slammed face-down into the hard ground. The last thing he heard was his uncle crying his name, before his world went dark.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

This chapter plays between chapters 1 and 2.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The plan**

Zuko looked at his uncle's pleading face, barely noticing Azula and the Dai Li agents leaving. His eyes fell on the wet spot on the ground left by Katara's waterbending. His soaked robe stuck to his back. _Cold, still pools_. He cast off his robe and tore the sleeves off of his shirt. Finally, he turned back to his uncle.

Fixed by his uncle's stoic gaze, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. _You have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose good._ He wished there were such things as neatly paved paths from which he merely needed to choose. From any point he'd ever been at in his life all that he'd been able to see were faded trails, overgrown by thorny bushes. Not being able to see further than a few steps ahead at a time, he'd always dug boldly into the undergrowth. Piercing and scratching his hands and arms and legs he made his way through every time. But whenever he did so, all that followed were more forks in the road, every new one more occluded than the other.

It was no different this time.

He didn't even know what _choosing good_ was supposed to mean.

Having chased The Avatar for years, he'd come to know his lore fairly well. The Avatar was not _good_ by strict definition. His role was keeping balance in the world. The Fire Nation had upset said balance, which was why it was being targeted by The Avatar. The Air Nomad genocide, the near-eradication of the Southern Water Tribe, the devastation of a large part of the Earth Kingdom. All these big _achievements_ of the Fire Nation would be considered evil by all but the most dreadful moral standards. That made The Avatar, the Fire Nation's greatest adversary, _good_. Zuko understood that much.

Having traveled the world with and without his uncle had made him realize that all these different life styles lived by people outside of the Fire Nation were valuable in themselves, and no good would come of forcing them to abandon their ways. His uncle had lately led him to believe that Zuko was suited to living a commoner's life and he had almost forgotten that this was not the life he'd lived before. But a tiny voice was starting to whisper inside of him that what was happening in the world right now was in part his responsibility as the heir of the Fire Nation throne. And that it was in his power to change it, one way or another.

He exhaled and faced his uncle. "Uncle, why did you let my father take the throne?" Uncle Iroh's eyes widened in amazement. Then he lowered his gaze in apparent understanding. It had been in his power to stop the war. If Uncle Iroh had become Fire Lord instead of Father, as he should have been as the firstborn son, history would have taken a different turn. "It would have made no difference", Iroh acknowledged, sadly shaking his head.

Zuko raised a clenched fist and yelled: "Why?" Looking up again, Iroh replied: "I was a different person back then. Did you forget that I laid siege to Ba Sing Se, just weeks before your grandfather passed away? Although I had my own ideas about a few things here and there, I was dedicated to the Fire Nation's cause to conquer the world." With his voice lowered, he admitted: "I believed conquering Ba Sing Se to be my destiny."

Zuko gritted his teeth. Turning away from his uncle, he asked: "If you were wrong about your own destiny, what makes you think you can predict _my_ destiny now?" He folded his arms, eagerly waiting, but his uncle did not reply. Zuko turned back toward Iroh and looked at him questioningly. "Well?" Finally, his uncle admitted: "I have nothing to say that would defend me". Zuko tore at his hair and bellowed: "Why am I even asking?".

His uncle's face broke into a smile. "But you know, nephew, destiny is a funny thing!" Zuko dismissed the objection with a wave of his hand. "I don't _care_ about funny things!" In his frustration, he shot a fire blast into a nearby crystal cluster, which cracked under the heat, but remained otherwise unchanged. "One cannot predict one's destiny, because it is shaped by one's actions", Iroh continued, beaming unperturbed. "You will fulfill your destiny one way or another, _because_ it is your destiny to do so. All ways will lead you to it. But if you compare traveling the same road with Azula by your side or your favorite uncle, which do you think is more enjoyable?" Zuko slapped his hands over his face. This wasn't going anywhere.

"Uncle, this isn't about _fun_ ", he explained as calmly as possible through the gap between his hands. "It's about what I have to do." Uncle Iroh raised an eyebrow and replied, less motivated: "You're not listening. You'll fulfill your destiny, even if you don't do _anything_. What you should ask yourself is _how_ you _want_ to do it. Then consider your options to reach your goal and pick the one that suits you best."

Zuko lowered his hands. All this time he'd thought he wanted to capture The Avatar, but that had always been just a means to an end. He wanted to restore his honor. So that his father would love him. "I want my father to love and acknowledge me", he attempted. "That's a worthy goal, but sadly out of your reach. Your father is unable to love, and there is nothing you could do to change that. Believe me, I grew up with him." Zuko pictured Azula's face and suddenly understood where Iroh was coming from.

If his father's love was unattainable, was his life meaningless? "Don't even think about it!", Uncle Iroh warned vehemently, as if he'd read Zuko's mind. "Try something else!". Zuko hid his face in his palms again.

"I don't know what I want in life!", he finally admitted. "Wonderful!", his uncle praised. "Then your path is clear!" Clawing at the back of his head, Zuko yelled: "What do you _mean_ by that?" Uncle Iroh was grinning so widely that his face almost split in half, but he said nothing.

Zuko frowned and tapped the back of his nose. He hated it when his uncle did that. _You need to start asking yourself the_ big _questions._ Who are _you and what do_ you _want?_ He rubbed his forehead. He had no solution, but that probably _was_ the answer by his uncle's logic. He didn't even know the question. He didn't know _anything_.

His thoughts returned to the thorns that seemed to prevent him from getting anywhere. He could not get anywhere because he didn't know where an individual path would lead him to, and how these paths were connected. He didn't even know the possible destinations. Finding your way around in the physical world was easy by comparison. All that was needed was a good map and a compass. And when in need of a map… _map the terrain_.

He finally lowered his hands and turned toward his uncle. "Why are you still pretending to be trapped in crystal?" His uncle rolled his eyes and tensed his body. The crystals surrounding him crunched and cracked. Finally, they gave in and he burst out of his crystal cage with a fire blast. He patted some dust off of his robe and beamed: "Crystal is strong, but brittle. Punctually applied heat shatters any crystal easily." With a slightly less motivated expression, he added: "Don't be like crystal!"

He turned toward his nephew and looked at him expectantly. "Let's open your tea shop again tomorrow", Zuko said with a grim expression. Uncle Iroh made a few steps toward him and placed his hands on his shoulders. "That is a very good idea, nephew". Then he hid his hands inside the sleeves of his robes and asked: "And how do you propose to do that, with Azula's minions roaming the city, looking for us?" Zuko gritted his teeth and lowered his eyes. "Let's throw her out of Ba Sing Se." His uncle nodded slowly. "Azula's presence would _indeed_ be very detrimental for the aroma, even for the best of our tea varieties."

Iroh took a deep breath. "I am not afraid of Azula. What worries me more are these Dai Li agents." Zuko's mouth twitched. "They are too unpredictable and rendering people unable to fight is their specialty. If we had an earthbender on our side, it would not be such a big problem. But we don't." He gazed at Zuko intently. "We need a plan. But you _must_ promise me not to let your emotions cloud your judgement again." Zuko nodded and whispered "I promise".

When his uncle did not stir, he added: "I know I have broken my promises before. But this time will be different." His uncle's smile unsettled him. Deep inside, he feared that Uncle Iroh did not trust him.

"Now, listen", the former general started. "We must not allow the Dai Li to take us by surprise. Azula followed The Avatar on her own, and the two agents who were here before went the other way." Zuko nodded. "I bet they have some other assignment related to her planned coup." – "Most likely", his uncle confirmed. "Azula is probably battling The Avatar and his girlfriend as we speak." The Avatar's girlfriend. His insides twinged a little. Zuko had previously tried twice to lay a trap for The Avatar using Katara. His plans had never worked out. _Don't mess with The Avatar's girlfriend_. "She might not be strong enough to beat the two of them together. I heard from The Avatar's companions that both The Avatar and the Water Tribe girl are much stronger than before. And seeing as he must have started to learn earthbending by now, he also has the advantage of terrain." Zuko remembered the advanced techniques Katara had used against him back at the North Pole. Yes, she was far more powerful than she used to be. But Azula's power was off the charts, and driven into a corner she had the potential to be far more dangerous than any of them. "The Dai Li agents will probably come to aid her as soon as their other mission is complete. If we are taken by surprise, it will be over in an instant." Zuko nodded again. "Your Fire Breath worked really well earlier." Uncle Iroh slowly shook his head. "I am afraid it will not work again. I distracted them with my story-telling. But they will be prepared by this kind of trick when they face us next time."

Zuko paced round the cavern, shaking his fist. "We must ambush them! We should follow Azula, stay hidden, and when the Dai Li come we'll attack and take them all out." Uncle nodded again. "But that will not be enough. They are formidable opponents, watching each other's backs. They will discover and foil our ambush before we can execute it." Zuko contemplated again. "We need confusion to make it harder for them to decide how to act. But how do we do that without giving away our position?"

His uncle looked at him sternly. "You must side with Azula", he said unemotionally. "What?", Zuko yelled. I thought all this was about me _not_ fighting for Azula!" His uncle remained unmoved. "Only if they believe you on their side, you will be safe from their attacks. You will pretend to fight against The Avatar. Better don't go all out, but try not to get yourself killed. When the Dai Li come, you create a diversion and I will bring them down." Zuko stared and retaliated: "Bring them down on your own? How?" Iroh glanced aside. "I will meditate on that while we wait for them to come." Zuko did not buy any of it. "There's something you're not telling me." His uncle remained silent. "Isn't there, Uncle?", Zuko interrogated him. Finally, Iroh said sadly: "You are still a stranger to war, nephew".

Zuko began to see where all of this was going to. His uncle wasn't going to just _take them out_. He was going to use a large-scale fire-attack to severely hurt or even kill some of the Dai Li agents. He turned away from his uncle and squeezed his eyes shut. Zuko had fought many adversaries in his life. Azula, The Avatar, General Zhao, and countless other people. But for him a battle was over when one of the parties lost. Even with The Avatar, his goal hat always been to capture him, a goal he had had never betrayed. There simply had been no need for him to kill anyone before.

But naturally, he wasn't so naïve. Fire was not an element suitable for fighting the enemy without killing or hurting. That was one of the reasons why he'd dedicated so much of his time to learning hand-to-hand combat. He looked down at his clenched fist. It was a complementary skill necessary for him.

"But uncle, if we kept the Dai Li alive, we could use them." Iroh shrugged. "Use them for what? You have seen how easily they betrayed their former master." He shook his head. "You know I don't want to do this, but such is the fate they accepted when abandoning their former master for Azula." He patted Zuko's back gently. "You are a good man, Zuko. But also a boy who has never brought sin or dishonor upon himself. Allow your uncle to sacrifice his good conscience for the sake of protecting your innocence."

Zuko's lips twitched as his thoughts spun out of control. There had to be another way. There _had_ to be. But they had no time left to ponder all the options. Azula was probably fighting The Avatar and Katara in that very moment and the Dai Li were already on their way. He was merely clutching straws.

"What if we let her capture him and then broke him out once she lets her guard down?" Iroh spent a moment in quiet contemplation before replying. "You are still assuming that she is not trying to kill him. But she might as well, because he has eluded captivity for so long. If he was killed now, it would take a long time before the new Avatar is powerful enough to be a serious threat to Ozai's plans. And by then, it might be too late. Also, that would only be an option if The Avatar was the only person in danger." Zuko got the hint. Katara was with The Avatar, and Azula thought her expandable. If The Avatar was captured, she would simply be killed to eliminate a possible future interference.

"She offered to heal you when you were injured by Azula", Zuko confessed. Iroh grinned. "And I presume that my dear nephew would not let her." Zuko looked away, but Iroh pressed his shoulder lightly. "It is all right. I was not so badly hurt anyway." Zuko finally gave in. It was time to map a part of his life previously unknown to him. "Let's try your plan."

* * *

The Avatar had formed a neat round tunnel, its walls illuminated by the faint lights of the crystal formations. Iroh and Zuko were running along the passage, leading steadily uphill. Iroh, who had come together with the Avatar earlier, assumed that if his niece and Aang were battling, they were probably doing so in the large cave they had passed on their way down to the smaller cell where Katara and Zuko had been held.

Iroh began panting by the time they made it halfway to the central cave. He wasn't the youngest anymore. His age and superfluous lifestyle after his retirement from the military had made him fat and lazy. He didn't like to admit it, but it was true. When Zuko slowed down, the former general warned him that their time was short. "Go ahead without me. I'll catch up with you. It'll be easier for me to sneak in and find a good position for the ambush when you're already battling them." Zuko nodded and sped ahead with almost inhuman speed and was out of sight within seconds.

Iroh stopped for a moment, breathing heavily. When this was over, he'd seriously reconsider his lifestyle choices. If he was right about their near future, there would be no way around reuniting with his old friends, and he was sure they would have no need for a fat man who couldn't even run a mile or two. While his firebending was as flawless as ever, he simply lacked the stamina to feed the flames for longer than a few minutes, which would be very detrimental in case he would get involved in real fighting.

Iroh walked on at a pace. He'd need all his strength for the mission that lay ahead of him. He wouldn't be able to pull off any large-scale fire attacks, panting as he was. Cold sweat trickled down his spine. Zuko must have reached the central cave by now.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**

Please bear with me, Zutara fans, as this chapter is mostly about Mai and my willful take on her character.

* * *

 **Chapter 4: And Ba Sing Se fell**

Mai was sitting on the steps of the Earth King's Throne, staring into nothingness and watching Ty Lee tumble and play tricks from the corner of one eye. The bear beside her let out a frightful grumble. Mai shifted her attention to the bear without moving her eyes or head. The bear was huge. Standing on his hind legs, he was taller than any man she'd even seen, and even on all fours, he was an impressive sight to behold. She was sure Ty Lee would love to train and ride him. Not that Mai really cared. It was just ludicrous and pitiful for such a mighty creature to be wearing a silly little jacket and hat. Especially if the hat was designed as a simpler copy of the Earth Kingdom's crown.

Ty Lee cartwheeled toward Mai and the furry monster and stretched out her hands in consolation. "Poor Dear. You're so lonely without your master", she comforted him. "Come on, let's play!" She tugged the sleeve of his jacket and flipped away. The bear sat up and whined at Mai. Judging by his accusing looks, she was totally in the way and he was too afraid of her to just climb over her outstretched legs.

Or maybe he was too fat. The amount of food this animal ate in a single day could easily have fed Mai's family for half a week. The bear produced a corresponding amount of waste, too. And for some reason, it was considered as an honor in the Earth King's palace to be allowed to clean up after him. However, Ty Lee was always conveniently out of earshot whenever the deed had to be done, so the honor was usually Mai's.

The bear scratched the stone floor softly. "Come on, Mai, let him through!", Ty Lee chided. Mai rolled her eyes and growled: "Gee, fine!" She pulled her legs to her body to let the fat, useless cake annihilator pass. He harrumphed as he passed her, not without giving her a condemning side glance that left no doubt that he thought it was not her place to block his way. Mai scoffed inside. No audacity, but at least some pride and brains. Quite opposed to his owner. Maybe the bear should rule the Earth Kingdom. He was already dressed for the part and would probably give away less secrets to strangers than the current ruler-in-name.

Ty Lee was still coaxing the bear to follow her, but got tired of it after a while. Instead, she instructed the bear to sit down, nimbly mounted his back and went into a handstand on his head after knocking down his crown. Bosco whined again, but was apparently too taken with Ty Lee to shake her off. She summersaulted back onto the ground and bowed to the bear. "Please forgive me, your highness, for ruining your apparel." She picked up the hat from the ground and skillfully spiraled it back onto the bear's head. His highness growled excitedly and clapped his hands.

Seeing Ty Lee so happy, Mai began to dread that she would take the bear as a pet back with her to the Fire Nation. She should try to come up with a scheme to get rid of the bear before Ty Lee could get any ideas. Now Ty Lee even tried to teach the stupid bear how to walk on hands. Even if he could do that in theory, he was way too lazy to even try, so why bother? She heard steps from the entrance, but before she could fully turn her head, Ty Lee's hands were cast in rock. The forward momentum brought her feet back to the ground where they were trapped as well. Bosco clapped again and made noises that sounded like a laugh. Mai had never known that bears could laugh. The Avatar's goons and the most incompetent king in the history of the Earth Kingdom. came running for her, and the blind earthbender mocked Ty Lee: "That _is_ a nice trick!" She was right. It _was_ hilarious.

Before Mai could say anything, the underlings turned toward her, fists and weapons raised. The earthbender raised a rock from the ground and let it hover threateningly. So scary. Mai waved her hand, pretending not to care. "Just take the bear!", she said casually. But inside, she was throwing herself a party. No more bear poo, no more happy Ty Lee. Perfect victory. Not that she cared. Officially, at least.

The king screamed "Bosco!" and hugged the bear in joy. Clearly the Earth King has never had to clean up his own pet's droppings, for it was inexplicable to Mai how anyone could hug such a manure generator. "Come on, Bosco. Let's get away from these mean, deceiving girls as quickly as possible." Bosco got up from his sitting position and followed the king. After a few steps, he stopped and turned his head toward Ty Lee, whose hands and feet were still trapped in rock. "It's OK, little fuzzy bear. I'll be fine", she said, not entirely convincing. Bosco whined at the king, who folded his arms and frowned. The Water Tribe big brother smarty-pants, who was walking behind Bosco, pushed his furry butt and yelled "Get moving, bear! We don't have time!" Bosco whimpered again and started walking reluctantly. "I love you, too, sweetheart!", Ty Lee shouted after him. Bosco growled one last time as if saying goodbye as he walked out the door.

Mai was unable to suppress a sight. Just how cheesy could a goodbye between an overgrown cuddly toy and a circus performer with tied-up legs and arms be? She hoped never to see that bear _or_ the most stupid ruler in the known universe _ever_ again. Though she still wasn't quite sure what was worse. Bosco, at any rate, seemed sentient enough to at least follow an everyday conversation. She wasn't so sure about the Earth King. He, however, had at some point in his life learned to use a toilet.

As she was still pondering the pros and cons of keeping Bosco or Kuei as a pet (both of them sounded like critter names), she heard Ty Lee clear her throat noisily. In the end, she didn't care much for pets. Even if someone else cleaned up after them, they were just useless mouths to feed. Ty Lee cleared her throat again, more noisily this time. "You should see a doctor", Mai stated dryly. "Ummmm, excuse me? A little help here?" Mai looked up. "What do you need help with?" Ty Lee wobbled a little, trapped as she was. "I'm kind of tied up here and can't free myself. So could you maybe get one of the Dai Li to remove these rocks?"

Mai looked the other way. "So, you're giving orders now?" Ty Lee sounded hurt. "No, but I really can't go myself." Mai leaned back. "Just wait. They'll come back after capturing The Avatar." Ty Lee shrieked: "You want me to wait for _another_ 100 years?" Actually, no. Mai just wanted to make sure that her little fuzzy poo factory was well out of her reach before she was freed. Also, if the same thing happened to Mai, Ty Lee would be too busy with random things, such as teaching a bear- "Hey!", Ty Lee yelled. "You still with us?" She sounded seriously pissed.

"Yeah, OK", Mai gave in and got up. Slouching out of the throne room, she wondered why she didn't think of leaving earlier. Just leaving her there was a marvelous solution, and much kinder to her ears.

* * *

She strolled around in the palace at random. She had no idea where any of the Dai Li were anyway. They were supposed to capture the members of the Council of Five, though she had no idea where they would be taken. Maybe to the prison. That's where King Dumbo, Boomerang Sucker and I-see-with-my-feet had come from earlier. For sure, there were no Dai Li there. Cause if there were, how would they escape? Or maybe the Dai Li had been there and unable to stop The Avatar army, or maybe they double-crossed Azula and rejoined their king. Mai hoped that's what happened, because it would be the most interesting turn of events. But no, the Earth King just ran off, abandoning his kingdom. And the most foolish king in the history of histories wouldn't be able to win back the Dai Li from the hottest firebender under the sun anyway. Dragons were extinct, after all.

The ground under her feet shook every once in a while, but she paid it no mind. This was the Earth Kingdom capital. Earthquakes were totally normal here. At least that would be her excuse if anyone asked.

After some ten minutes or so of gazing at Earth Kingdom antiques and pieces of art, she decided to return to the throne room. She'd been away long enough to convince Ty Lee that she'd sincerely looked all over the place for an earthbender to free her. But they were at war. The Dai Li were probably helping the wicked princess deal with that airbender and The Brother.

The thought of Zuko filled Mai's usually impassionate heart with a glimmer of hope She hadn't seen the Fire Prince since he was banned from the Fire Nation. She'd always somewhat admired him for being outspoken and straightforward, and getting away with it. But in the end, even he hadn't been allowed to speak his mind about the truly important things, which was vexing. She'd heard the stories about the War Council where Zuko had advised against the General's plan of sacrificing unexperienced recruits on the front line for some ulterior motive.

She resented ulterior motives. And if even Zuko as the future leader of the Fire Nation wasn't allowed to give his opinion about war strategies, what hope was there for noble girls like her? Her fate was to sit around prettily on a soft cushion and be sacrificed for her own father's ulterior motives. Ulterior motives anywhere. Her true hope shot blue fire from her fists and daggers from her eyes. As long as she was with the Fire Princess, she was free. Or at least less constrained than usual. She could travel the world, follow Azula's orders, or not follow them when it was too inconvenient, and follow her own whim, whenever Her Hotness was looking the other way. Azula didn't expect her underlings to think for themselves, after all. Just following orders to a T was fine. Pretending not to understand these orders was OK sometimes, too. Mai wasn't sure if she wanted Zuko to come back. Sure, she wanted to be with him. But she couldn't imagine herself liking a Zuko that was Azula's creature.

She stopped in an open gallery, overlooking the palace's inner yard, where exotic (by Mai's standards) plants, fountains and rock sculptures were arranged in sophisticated manner. The Fire Nation made a big show of art and flower arrangements and gardening and blah, but in reality, everything looked kind of the same. It was just for old people talking nonsense of what the gardener tried to express by planting the Matsu Tree in that exact spot and not a few yards further to the left or whatever. She'd always regurgitated her father's opinions when asked to give hers, so yeah, she'd had more than enough of that for her whole life. The rural style of the Earth Kingdom was refreshing in comparison. Though it occurred to her that it was strange to call something she saw in Ba Sing Se 'rural', for the Earth Kingdom capital was the most gigantic city in the world.

Azula didn't care much for trees. Zuko had once been genuinely interested in the art of gardening, and art in general, to be honest. She wondered if Zuko would start randomly burning trees like his sister, if he came back to the palace as a crown prince. Mai sighed and leaned onto the railing. She wished Zuko could see this. She knew little about trees or gardens or sculptures, but would have loved to listen to the Prince's musings of this patch of green deep within the palace of the Earth King. He'd always been one of the reasons why she hung out with his crazy sister and her hyperactive friend. But right now, she hoped that Zuko would just leave with his uncle and not come back. She wanted for Zuko to always stay as he'd been before that fateful day.

She straightened up. She should really return to the throne room. If she stayed away too long, it would be hard to explain her absence. Especially if Azula had returned in the meantime.

The palace was a maze and Mai's bad sense of direction didn't help much in finding her way back to the throne room. And there was not a person to be seen anywhere to point the way. Mai didn't blame them for running away from Princess Hotter-Than-Thou, but it was really inconvenient not being able to ask for directions. Her feet started to hurt and her weird green clothes felt super uncomfortable.

* * *

When she returned to the throne room eventually, said Princess barked at Mai: "Where have you been? We've been waiting for you!" Mai stopped in the entrance and recalled all of the excuses she'd prepared while walking about. The one that fitted the best was "I was searching high and low for an earthbender to free Ty Lee, but I couldn't find any. Even the prison guards were gone." Azula rolled her eyes. "Of course, they were with me!" Figures. "Really? That never occurred to me", she replied.

Azula folded her arms and shifted her weight to one leg. With a smirk, she said: "I'm sorry, Mai, dear. You never had the most impressive skills of deduction. No idea how you ever managed to get accepted into the Royal Fire Academy for Girls." Mai lowered her eyes. "I guess it might have been because of my family's position."

It was a complete lie. Anyone lower in status than the royals of the Fire Nation had to prove themselves with extraordinary performance in academics and athletics to be accepted into the Royal Fire Academy. The truth was that she had been obligated to be admitted to the Royal Fire Academy (because anything less than that just wouldn't do for her parents), but standing out among the other high-ranking noble girls in academics was bad, according to her parents. She was certain that all girls at the Royal Fire Academy had been instructed by their parents to _never ever_ outperform the Fire Princess in _anything_. But being underestimated suited Mai just fine. People had no higher expectations of her than of others, which meant that she actually got to slack off. And she was sure that Azula wanted her stupid and obedient, anyway.

Hey eyes fell on Ty Lee, who was sitting cross-legged on the stone floor, juggling rocks. Could it be…? It was strange. She'd known Ty Lee for so long and it had never occurred to her that she might be playing the same game.

"Oh well, I forgive you because I'm in a good mood today." Azula had shifted her attention to one of the Dai Li agents, apparently giving him instructions. Not listening to what was being said, Mai's gaze floated around the room. Zuko and his uncle were noticeably absent. So were The Avatar and his companions. In fact, the scene looked just the same as earlier today when Azula had given her orders for the coup.

Something was different, though. There were only two Dai Li agents present, and their robes and skin were burnt. What in the name of the Great Dragons. Mai's thoughts were racing. OK, there could be any number of explanations for burnt robes, but she knew of only three firebenders who were currently in the city: Azula, Zuko and General Iroh. Princess Your-Pants-Are-on-Fire wouldn't damage her tools as long as they were doing their jobs. Which they were doing, apparently, because otherwise they'd be dead already. But they might have gotten into the crossfire during the battle between Azula and The Avatar. No. If they had accidentally gotten into the way of Azula's attack, on purpose or not, Azula would have treated them as traitors either way. The one responsible for these burns must have been either Iroh or Zuko. She wondered where Zuko was now.

As if she'd guessed her thoughts, Azula turned around and smirked. It was obvious that she wanted Mai to ask about Zuko. Even Ty Lee had stopped juggling and was eyeing her expectantly now. But Mai would not ask the questions. She would pretend not to care. Giving Azula power over her was a bad idea. She blinked. "Is there something in my face?", she inquired with blank expression. Azula shrugged. "I thought there was something on your _mind_ , but I guess I was wrong." Mai didn't need to ask. She would find out one way or the other.

* * *

In the end, she decided to listen to the conversations around her after all. From what she found out, The Avatar had been struck by lightning right in the back and was likely (but not confirmed) dead. The Water Tribe girl had escaped with his body, as had Ex Earth King Kuei and his bear, the Water Tribe boy and the blind girl. Mai never cared to learn their strange foreign names. Zuko and Iroh had apparently plotted against Azula and killed most of the Dai Li agents that had come for Azula's help. However, they had been taken captive. Iroh had surrendered himself in the end, but Zuko had apparently hit the floor pretty hard and was still unconscious. They were currently being kept in separate cells, but Zuko had been given the required medical attention.

So Zuko had decided not to join his sister. For once, Mai was at a loss what to think. Not being able to keep her inner turmoil in check, she prowled around the castle for several days after the coup, observed the Fire Nation troops pouring into the city, and even as the day of departure back to the Fire Nation drew closer, she could not make up her mind if she wanted to see her former crush or not.

The Princess had gotten word when he regained consciousness and just had to honor Mai with a long side glance which the latter tried her best to ignore while looking as unconcerned as possible. More than a week had passed since then. Azula had apparently visited him several times for purpose of interrogation, but she'd always taken only two of her Dai Li agents. There had been no convenient excuse for Mai, such as visiting Zuko purely on Azula's orders. And the fact that Azula left her mostly to her own devices while she was taking over full control of the city and organizing an interim administration did not really help Mai, for she had nothing to do, which left her thoughts spinning in circles.

Just as her thoughts were spinning in circles, she found herself time and time again passing the stairs that led directly to the underground dungeons. When she finally set foot on these stairs, she had already started rationalizing her behavior with the fact that the dungeons were the only part of the palace that she had not been to yet. Knowing her way around the palace might prove useful later on, in case the Earth King succeeded to retake his kingdom and she needed to sneak inside or some such.

Of course, once she reached the base of the stairs, she might as well check on the Fire Nation prisoners. Or at least that was her justification in case somebody asked her. As she was walking around, exploring the layout of the prison, she passed rows upon rows of metal cells, which were designed to lock up earthbenders. None of them were more heavily guarded than the other, which probably indicated that the VIPs (Very Important Prisoners) were kept somewhere else.

There were no cells in the last corridor. Only two earthbenders were standing guard. Disappointed, Mai was about to return to her room, when it occurred to her that it made no sense to have earthbenders guard an empty corridor. The Earth Kingdom had a habit of imprisoning benders of other elements in caves whose entrances were sealed. She'd seen those during her time in Omashu. Two guards. Two cells. Two prisoners.

She walked up to the first guard and commanded with flat voice: "Open this cell. I need to interrogate the prisoner." The guardsman who was several spans taller than her and at least twice as wide, replied. "I can't let you into this cell. I have orders." Of course he had orders. Why else would he be down here? But she was authorized to command most of the guards. The Dai Li were the only exception. She sighed loudly. "Don't you know who I am?", she asked with accentuated irritation. The prison guard seemed to shrink. "I-I do, Lady Mai", he stammered. "You may punish me as you see fit, but Princess Azula gave very specific orders not to admit you into Prince Zuko's cell."

Wow. She had _not_ expected that. So Azula had anticipated Mai coming to see Zuko, probably more so than Mai herself. Or maybe it was just a precaution. As if she would actually betray her for the sake of a traitor who'd never noticed her. And she guessed that Azula's orders went even further than that. The guard would report Mai's visit to the prison to Azula right after his shift ended. Then Azula would know that she'd been here. She could not let that happen. With exceptional presence of mind, Mai took a step toward the guard and drew one of her knives. He would be terrified of the punishment Azula had in store for him, so there was only one way to keep him from talking.

"I'll remember your face", she threatened with a voice steadier than she felt while holding the knife to the guard's throat. "If Azula hears of my visit, I'll find out where you live and mutilate all relatives of yours that I can find." He swallowed and spluttered: "Y-yes, I will forget that you were here, right away!" She withdrew her knife and stepped back. She had no idea if he was credible or not, but she would have to take the risk. She remembered his face, just in case.

She turned to leave, but stopped after a few steps. He'd said that Azula's orders had been _very_ _specific_. She turned back and walked toward the second guard. She was well within earshot of the first and must have heard everything, so Mai saved herself the introductions and commanded: "Open this cell! No word to Princess Azula!" The guard looked unhappy, but saluted, stepped aside and waved her hands. The wall slid aside and revealed a dimly lit, oval cave. Mai entered and gazed upon the Dragon of the West.

* * *

 **A/N**

Sorry, no chapter this week. I've been on a trip these past two weeks and prepared only two chapters in advance because I thought I'd have enough time to write the chapter for this week, but no can do... I'll post the next chapter next Fri/Sat (March 2nd/3rd).


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